In areas with rich biodiversity and traditional knowledge, strong community structures allow for engagement with international organizations while protecting local resources and respecting traditional rights. On March 25-26, 2015, the “Soda lakes community structures for ABS agreements meeting” brought together representatives from communities along the Soda Lakes to discuss the possibility of entering into negotiations with international companies and other institutions on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) agreements in relation to the community’s rich bio-cultural resources and traditional knowledge. Gino Cocchiaro and International Legal Fellow Jennifer Ingram represented Natural Justice at the meeting, with Gino introducing Natural Justice’s work on community protocols with different communities in Africa. Hosted by the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute in Naivasha, the two-day event is part of a program funded in part by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that seeks to assist communities in developing structures to handle ABS agreements.
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| In addition to flamingos, Lake Bogoria part of the Soda lakes is also home to a host of microorganisms with potential for research and commercial use that the community is trying to protect. Lake Bogoria National Reserve, Kenya Photo by Michael Poliza © All rights reserved |
